Definition of "wo"

Such feeble arms, to work internal wo!

1815, Philip Freneau, A collection of poems, on American affairs and a variety of other subjects, page 82

But if there was a competition between a sick family and a new broach, the broach was sure to carry the day. This would not have been the case, had they been habituated to visit themselves the abodes of penury and wo.

1809, Hannah More, Coelebs in Search of a Wife

He stands ahint our wo.

1859, Thomas Moore, The Song of Solomon in the Durham Dialect, ii. 9

Yo may turn up yor noses at me an' th' owd dame,An thrutch us like dogs agen th' wo :Bo as lung 's aw con nayger, aw'll ne'er be a beggar,So aw care no a cuss for yo o-o'.

1871, Benjamin Brierly, “Weaver of Wellbrook”, in William-Edward-Armitage Axon, editor, Folk-song and Folk-speech of Lancashire, page 53

[…] thinkan it ran at him, thrast him up again t' wo, ramm't at him, […]

1880, Thomas Clarke, Specimens of the Dialect of Westmorland, page 41

Plantit up agen t'wo

1884, Jack Robison, Aald Tales ower Agen, section 4

Hoo's pluck of a lion an' faces her foe / Wi' calm in her e'en an' her beck agen t' wo; / Hoo's firm i' decision, stonds up for her reets / An' bravely withstonds o' t' misfortins hoo meets.

1936, G. Halstead Whittaker, A Lancashire Garland of Dialect Prose and Verse, page 221

[…] “Theer was anudder time, teu, 'at I saw t Park Boggle, in anudder form; bit I wassent seah nart that time, as I was when I'd been fetchen t hogs. I'd been wo-en a gap 'at hed fawn ower o' tudder side o' to Park; […]

1871, John Richardson, "Cummerland Talk": Being Short Tales and Rhymes, page 101

It's a varra lang while—a caant tell ya hoo lang—sen it wes bilt, lang afooar Borradal fooak woet kucku in, er t' first cooach ran throo Dent, […]

1880, Thomas Clarke, Specimens of the Dialect of Westmorland, page 2